Michael Broomhead

Derbyshire police’s Chief Constable will probe claims that undercover officers tried to smear the family of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence.

Speaking on last night’s Channel Four documentary Dispatches: The Police’s Dirty Secret, Mick Creedon gave a 100 per cent assurance that the allegations would be investigated as part of Operation Herne.

Whistleblower Peter Francis, a former undercover officer, told the programme he was asked to find “dirt” which could be used against members of the Lawrence family – shortly after 18-year-old Stephen was killed in a racist attack in April 1993

In October 2011, Mr Creedon was tasked with heading Operation Herne which is examining claims that officers assumed the identities of dead children and that some officers had inappropriate sexual relationships.

Now the opartion has been extended to look at the latest allegations in relation to the Lawrence family.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: “I want to be clear that all such allegations will be investigated.”

In a statement, Scotland Yard said it “recognises the s­eriousness of the allegations of inappropriate ­behaviour and practices involving past undercover ­deployments”.

It added: “The claims in relation to Stephen Lawrence’s family will bring particular upset to them and we share their concerns.”

A Derbysire police spokesman said: “This is an ongoing inquiry and we are not in a position to comment further at this stage.”

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